I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in "Cheers & Jeers".
OK, you've been warned — here is this week's tomfoolery material that I posted.
CHEERS to Bill and Michael in PWM, our Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead.
ART NOTES — a selection of paintings, sculptures, and drawings (inspired by decorative arts and textiles from all over the world) in an exhibition entitled Matisse in the Studio will be at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through July 9th, 2017.
Henri Matisse — to July 9thCHEERS to yesterday’s meet-up in Portland, Maine — as was noted by brillig in her Top Comments diary last night — where we got to see Bill in Portland Maine (with his new quilt) and 25 other attendees. I am fully expecting someone to post a photo diary soon … if one already exists, please provide a link in the comments.
Flatbread Company, Portland MaineTHE RETIREMENT SYSTEM in the South American nation of Chile — a privatized pension created by former dictator Augusto Pinochet— has long been admired by conservative privatizers (one of the few “foreign” ideas they like). But due to its (surprise, surprise) comparatively small payments to pensioners: Michelle Bachelet’s government is authorizing more funds to go into the system (as well as creating an independent agency to oversee it).
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Blackie the Cat— an English kitteh being petted by British prime minister Winston Churchill on the HMS Prince of Wales ship during World War II … one of many wartime kittehs who achieved fame.
Blackie the CatA TALE OF TWO BLUES — many will recognize the sky-blue and white colors of Argentina, especially on the jerseys worn by its World Cup teams. But researchers now believe the original flag design used … ultramarine, a darker shade of blue.
PROGRAMMING NOTE — I will not be posting next Friday, nor my wrap-up Sunday diary Odds & Ends … will be visiting family/friends in the NY area, with a Bronx Zoo trip slated for Saturday. See you the following week.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Gus the Cat— a kitteh who went missing from his home but was located due to his microchip, then reunited with his family (and his sister Dolly the Cat) …..... appropriately enough in Catford, England (southeast of London).
Gus the CatHAPPY TRAILS to the veteran NPR host Robert Siegel— who will be retiring next year after forty-two years at the network, including thirty years as co-host of its flagship All Things Considered evening news program.
BRAIN TEASER — try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
OLDER — YOUNGER BROTHERS? — former president Gerald Ford and the recently deceased federal judge John Noonan.
Gerald Ford (1913 — 2006) John Noonan (1926 — 2017)...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… someone you may never heard of ... yet had an important impact on the British Invasion bands you have heard of was Alexis Korner— someone who helped bridge the British music scene in the 1950’s towards the blues and provided employment for future rock stars in the early 1960’s. Though he faded from the spotlight after the success of his young protegés, did not achieve the world-wide impact of John Mayall in becoming a British blues evangelist and died at only age 55 in 1984 — he had loyal fans to the end and the musicians he inspired never forgot the leadership he provided.
Born in Paris in 1928 (to an Austrian Jewish father and a Greek-Turkish mother) his family escaped on one of the last refugee ships to leave France after the Nazis overran it in May, 1940 and settled in London. During the Blitz, Korner heard a record by the Chicago-based boogie-woogie pianist Jimmy Yancey— and from then on, “All I wanted to do was play the blues”.
As an acoustic guitarist (not becoming committed to electric guitar until years later) he found the post-war music scene in Britain a bit stifling, yet found a kindred spirit when he met the trombonist/bandleader Chris Barber— who shared his love of the blues. He joined Barber’s jazz band in 1949 and — not unlike what Benny Goodman did — Barber had a side blues quintet, which would play during intermission for the larger band. Alexis Korner played Barber’s “trad jazz” (New Orleans, Dixieland style) but also yearned to play modern Charlie Parker jazz music, which had yet to gain a foothold in Britain.
Around 1952, Korner met harmonica player Cyril Davies— who was a Chicago blues purist, yet truly a virtuoso player. Korner and Davies played side gigs as a duo and were part of Chris Barber’s side project blues group. Critically, Korner and Davies convinced Chris Barber to help finance passage to the UK for many US blues performers like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.
In 2003, when John Mayall had a 70th birthday concert — featuring Eric Clapton — in Liverpool, he invited Chris Barber to acknowledge his importance in the growth of the blues in Britain — and Chris Barber just turned age eighty-seven.
Korner and Davies made their first recording in 1957 and at the dawn of the 1960’s formed their own band, Blues Incorporated— the UK’s first true electric blues band. Since no club hired blues musicians with any regularity, they convinced the owners of a small jazz club to switch to a blues (as well as an R&B format) — and in 1962, they were the first performers at the new Ealing Club in west London.
Blues Incorporated had a core group of members (Korner and Davies plus Ken Scott on piano) … and had a number of rotating members. A few who went on to fame were Jack Bruce on bass (Cream), Manfred Mann, several future Stones (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and especially Charlie Watts), Steve Marriott (Small Faces and Humble Pie). The group became so popular in 1962 that they were then booked into the famous Marquee Club (later to become the birthplace of The Who).
Cyril Davies was dismayed that Korner and the others wanted to add saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith (as Davies was a Chicago blues purist) — whereupon he left to form his own All-Stars band. Cyril Davies had some success but died from leukemia in January, 1964 …. two weeks before his 32nd birthday. (Cream drummer Ginger Baker recorded a tribute song to Davies in 1999).
Alexis Korner also — directly and indirectly — influenced two other British blues bandleaders. One was direct: Graham Bond (on alto sax) replaced Cyril Davies, and he later left to form his Graham Bond Organisation: taking with him tenor saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith and also the rhythm section of Jack Bruce & Ginger Baker: the heart of Cream. Bond became an R&B musical icon for a few years, but ran aground due to mental issues: eventually throwing himself in front of a London Underground train in 1974 and died at only age thirty-six.
The other was a blues enthusiast in Manchester, England — who was inspired from afar to quit his day job and move to London at age thirty to start his own group. John Mayall also found himself surrounded by young aspiring musicians, yet he was able to innovate his sound several times, achieved star status for several years and is still touring the world as a blues evangelist at age eighty-three.
Alexis Korner, though, was unable to sustain his early success. His young charges went on to be at the heart of the British Invasion, yet he was neither able to replace them, nor innovate — he had a more staid sound and looked down upon a louder, rock-based sound and especially psychedelia as the mid-60’s rolled on … just when others embraced it. He even turned on those who became wedded to Chicago blues-only. And so Blues Incorporated folded in 1966, with Korner (not yet age 40) now relegated to a role as “elder statesman”.
Korner went on to be a TV host on the ITV network children’s show Five O’Clock Club— which introduced a new generation of British youth to American blues and jazz — and also wrote for music publications and kept on as a solo performer.
In 1968 he founded a band with Danish singer and guitarist Peter Thorup— first known as New Church, years later named the Collective Consciousness Society (CCS). Korner began recording an album that year with a young singer from Birmingham … which had to be abandoned when Jimmy Page recruited Robert Plant to help found Led Zeppelin. After being fired from the Rolling Stones in June, 1969, Brian Jones asked to join but Korner declined, sensing problems with Jones. Brian Jones died a month later, and New Church was one of the opening acts for the Rolling Stones free concert in London’s Hyde Park two days later.
In the 1970’s, CCS had a small hit in Britain with a cover version (of all things) with Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love. For all of his love of American blues and jazz, Alexis Korner told Rolling Stone (in a nice interview) that he was afraid to come tour in the US until 1971 (which might have revived his career had he done so years earlier). And in 1972, he inherited some of the band members of the recently split-up King Crimson (including bassist Boz Burrell) for a time.
During the 70’s, Korner appeared on BBC radio to narrate several music documentaries, and many of his former “pupils” took time to remember one of their early inspirations. Korner appeared as a guest on several of their solo albums and his 50th birthday concert in 1978 saw several of them join him on-stage for a show that was later made into an album (and later a DVD).
His last big project came in 1981 with a band that he named after what several historians consider the first rock & roll song, Rocket 88. This group included Jack Bruce on bass and Charlie Watts on drums (with rotating other musicians and horn sections) that focused a lot on Korner’s early love of boogie-woogie, songs by W.C. Handy as well as originals.
A chain smoker, Alexis Korner died on New Year’s Day of 1984 at the age of fifty-five. There is a career retrospective album…. but his greatest legacy is that of the young musicians he encouraged.
Alexis Korner (early 1960’s) Late 1970’s — early 1980’sWhat song to choose? I think one needs to hear him with Blues Incorporated in 1962 with Cyril Davies — this is when he was at his most influential. Recorded live at the BBC before a studio audience, this features Alexis Korner (gtr, vocals), Cyril Davies (harmonica), Dave Stevens (piano), Jack Bruce (double bass) and Charlie Watts (drums). Hoochie Coochie Man is a Chicago blues classic, written by Chess Records’ executive manager Willie Dixon — and made famous by Muddy Waters.
On the seventh hour, of the seventh day, On the seventh month, the seventh doctor said: "He's born for good luck, and that you’ll see” I got seven hundred dollars, and don't you mess with me
Why y'know I'm here Everybody knows I'm here And I'm the hoochie-coochie man Everybody knows I'm here
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